TerrestrialbeginnerMidwest & Driftless
Dave's Hopper
Flybox sourcing profile
No TWG price or checkout is active. Use this page to validate the fly, then source it through the mapped tier or trusted fly shops.
Available Sizes#8 - #12
Color Variations
YellowTanOlive
Pattern Ledger
Source Dave's Hopper
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Sourcing Ledger
Where to source this pattern
TWG checkout is closed. These are current sourcing leads, scored by mapped tier, region, species, fly type, and named-pattern evidence. Confirm availability directly with the tier or shop.
Regional shopStrong match
Driftless Angler
Matched on Midwest & Driftless, terrestrial flies, trout. Driftless-specific trout source for spring creek nymphs, dries, and local bug windows.
Midwest & Driftlessterrestrial fliestrout
Visit sourceBroad sourceStrong match
Fulling Mill Flies
Matched on terrestrial flies, trout, nymph. Large pattern house with broad freshwater and saltwater fly categories.
terrestrial fliestroutnymph
Visit sourceBroad sourceStrong match
Big Y Fly Co.
Matched on terrestrial flies, trout, nymph. Broad by-type catalog useful for common benchmark patterns and inexpensive backups.
terrestrial fliestroutnymph
Visit sourceRegional shopStrong match
Murray's Fly Shop
Matched on terrestrial flies, trout, nymph. Appalachian trout and smallmouth source with long-running regional fly catalog depth.
terrestrial fliestroutnymph
Visit sourceRegional shopStrong match
AZ Fly Shop
Matched on terrestrial flies, trout, trout. Arizona and Southwest shop lead for desert trout, bass, canal carp, and warmwater patterns.
terrestrial fliestrout
Visit sourceDave Whitlock looked at a grasshopper, looked at a fly vise, and somehow made deer hair, turkey feathers, and yellow yarn into something that makes trout completely abandon their survival instincts. When the wind blows grasshoppers into Driftless spring creeks in August, the trout station themselves along grassy banks and wait for the next meal to fall in. This fly lands with the authoritative splat of a real hopper hitting the water, at which point the largest trout in the pool materializes from nowhere to eat it. Hopper fishing is not subtle. It is not supposed to be.
Quick Facts
TypeTerrestrial
Difficultybeginner
SeasonsSummer, Fall
Target SpeciesBrown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout
Sizes#8 - #12
Best LocationsWhitewater River, MN; Timber Coulee Creek, WI; Current River, MO
Where to Fish It
Whitewater River
MN · Spring Creek
Timber Coulee Creek
WI · Spring Creek
Current River
MO · Ozark River
Map unavailable. Locations for Dave's Hopper: Whitewater River, MN; Timber Coulee Creek, WI; Current River, MO
Related Reading
region guide
Driftless Area: Spring Creek Paradise
Tucked into the unglaciated hills of southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, and northeastern Iowa lies the Driftless Area — a landscape of cold spring creeks, limestone bluffs, and wild trout that rivals any destination in the country. This is the complete guide to fishing the Driftless.
hatch guide
Terrestrial Fishing: Hoppers, Ants, and Beetles
Terrestrial insects — hoppers, ants, beetles, and crickets — are not aquatic hatches, but they drive some of the most exciting and productive dry-fly fishing of the year. From midsummer hopper banks to fall ant flights, this is your guide to fishing the land-based food sources that trout cannot resist.
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